The on-going public health crisis that is COVID-19, a struggling economy and a dire budget outlook that could lead to furloughs and/or layoffs is just a few of the topics that state legislature will be faced in this legislative season.

INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAIʻI is on hiatus for the holiday season and returns on Thursday, January 14 at 8:00 pm.

From job losses to businesses closing, Insights on PBS Hawaiʻi looks at the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hawaiʻi’s economy.

The new Acting State Health Director Libby Char and Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, M.D. are among our guests on this forum on INSIGHTS. Recent outbreaks on the islands of Lānaʻi and Hawaiʻi show just how quickly the virus can spread if people aren’t careful. With a vaccine still elusive, government and health officials are asking residents to remain vigilant as we head into flu season and the holidays – traditional times for gatherings.

INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAIʻI presents the first of three programs with a focus on COVID-19 in Hawaiʻi. Two-and-a-half-months into the school year, it’s clear that back-to-school is not what it used to be and not what many want it to be. Distance learning in public schools is deemed safer for students, teachers and other school employees, but in its current form, is it working? Are students getting the education they need? From across the state, INSIGHTS brings together parents, teachers and a school principal, to talk about what’s working and what’s not. The panel also includes a family therapist with advice for students and parents.

Whether it’s job loss, illness, divorce or other life circumstances, some islanders find themselves at wit’s end, running out of money in retirement.

Hawai‘i is nearly 900 doctors short of what we need to meet our medical needs, according to the University of Hawai‘i’s John A. Burns School of Medicine. This shortfall is expected to widen to 1,500 in the next five years.

In Hawai‘i, a drug conviction can lead to jail time, especially when the drug is crystal methamphetamine, the state’s top drug threat.

The film A Place in the Middle tells the true story of a young girl who feels at home in an all-male halau. Other young people in Hawai‘i are also trying to navigate a world traditionally defined by gender roles.

As the state and counties look for solutions to the homeless crisis in Hawai‘i, some people are finding creative ways to give the homeless shelter and opportunity. From faith-based organizations to individuals providing rooms in their own homes, these innovators are blazing their own trails to help the homeless.